Eusebius of Caesarea, On the Lives of the Prophets

a word, which the Lord commanded Jeremiah to say to Seraiah son of Neriah, and to Idumea, and to the sons of Ammon, and to Kedar queen of the court, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote, and to Damascus, and to Moab, and concerning Jerusalem, and concerning Judah, and to the house of Rechabim, and of the sons of Jonadab, and to the 22.1269 Jews, those dwelling in the land of Egypt; and to those sitting in Magdala and at Taphnas, and in the land of Pathures. And to Baruch, when he wrote these words in the book from the mouth of Jeremiah. But the book contains at the end, that the Jews plotting against the prophet, threw him into a pit of mire, and Abdemelech the Ethiopian brought him up. Why is the book inscribed Baruch? Because this one, having written from the mouth of Jeremiah the words in the book, read them to those who were taken captive in Babylon, comforting them, and promising them hope from God. Why is the book inscribed Lamentations? Because Jeremiah lamented these words concerning Jerusalem, when it was captured, and the people were taken captive. Why is it called the Epistle of Jeremiah? Because Jeremiah wrote this to those in captivity, securing them against idols, so that, seeing them, they might not be led astray with those who worship them.

EZEKIEL SON OF BUZI THE PRIEST.

This one was in captivity after Jeremiah and in the fifth year of the

captivity of Jehoiachin he began to prophesy. And the word of the Lord came to him; and at first he sees a wondrous and most astonishing and hard to interpret vision of a four-faced living creature. And he prophesies against the prophets of Israel, and concerning the wood of the vine, and a narrative concerning the eagle, and he testifies against Jerusalem for its iniquities and its sins; and concerning the parable, which they spoke, the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth were set on edge. And to the sons of Ammon, and concerning Oholah, and Oholibah. And a lamentation upon Tyre, and upon Sidon, and concerning the day of the Lord, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and a lamentation upon Pharaoh, and Egypt, and upon mount Seir, and concerning the bones that came to life, and against Gog, and the land of Magog; and to the ruler of Tyre and a lamentation against him, and to the sons of his people, and against the shepherds of Israel; and finally he prophesies, describing the building of the temple, and of Jerusalem. Why is it called Daniel? Because he also, having been in captivity until the time of King Cyrus the Persian, he himself judges the matters concerning Susanna, and condemns the elders as false accusers; and he both relates and interprets the king’s dreams; and he also sees perfect visions; two concerning the kingdoms, and two concerning the coming of the Savior, and the desolation of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Antichrist. And he narrates concerning the testimony of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and their hymns; and that they were saved, but those who stoked the fire were burned up, and the king repented; and that he was cast into the den of lions; the first time, because while the Babylonians were praying to Darius the king, he 22.1272 alone prayed to God; and the second because he destroyed Bel; and he slew the dragon in the time of King Cyrus, and he was saved. And he came up from the den of lions. But those who plotted against him were cast into the den, and were immediately devoured by them.

λόγος, ὃν ἐνετείλατο Κύριος τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ εἰπεῖν τῷ Σαραία υἱῷ Νηρίου, καὶ τῇ Ἰδουμαίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἀμμὼν, καὶ τῇ Κηδὰρ βασιλίσσῃ τῆς αὐλῆς, ἣν ἐπάταξε Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ τῇ ∆αμασκῷ, καὶ τῇ Μωὰβ, καὶ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν, καὶ εἰς οἶκον Ῥηχαβεὶμ, καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰωναδὰβ, τοῖς τε Ἰου 22.1269 δαίοις, τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτου· καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν Μαγδάλῳ καὶ ἐπὶ Ταφνᾶς, καὶ ἐν γῇ Παθουρῆς. Πρός τε τὸν Βαροὺχ, ὅτε ἔγραψε τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ ἀπὸ στόματος Ἱερεμίου. Περιέχει δὲ τὸ βιβλίον ἐπὶ τέλους, ὅτι οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐπιβουλεύοντες τῷ προφήτῃ, ἔῤῥιψαν αὐτὸν εἰς λάκκον βορβόρου, καὶ Ἀβδεμέλεχ Αἰθίοψ ἀνήγαγεν αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τί Βαροὺχ ἐπιγράφει τὸ βιβλίον; Ἐπειδὴ οὗτος γράψας ἀπὸ στόματος Ἱερεμίου τοὺς ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ λόγους, ἀνέγνω τοῖς ἐν τῇ Βαβυλῶνι αἰχμαλωτισθεῖσι, παραμυθούμενος αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐπαγγελλόμενος αὐτοῖς τὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ ἐλπίδα. ∆ιὰ τί Θρῆνοι ἐπιγράφει τὸ βίβλιον; Ἐπειδὴ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐθρήνησεν Ἱερεμίας περὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅτε ἑάλω, καὶ αἰχμαλωτίσθη ὁ λαός. ∆ιὰ τί Ἐπιστολὴ Ἱερεμίου καλεῖται; Ἐπειδὴ ταύτην ἔγραψεν Ἱερεμίας τοῖς ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ, κατὰ τῶν εἰδώλων ἀσφαλιζόμενος αὐτοὺς, ἵνα μὴ, βλέποντες αὐτὰ, συναπαχθῶσι τοῖς σεβομένοις αὐτά.

ἸΕΣΕΚΙΗΛ ΥΙΟΣ ΒΟΥΖΙ ΙΕΡΕΩΣ.

Οὗτος ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ γέγονε μετὰ Ἱερεμίαν καὶ τῷ πέμπτῳ ἔτει τῆς

αἰχμαλωσίας Ἰωακεὶμ ἤρξατο προφητεύειν. Λόγος δὲ Κυρίου ἐγένετο πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ ὅρασιν μὲν ἐξαρχῆς ζώου τετραπροσώπου θαυμαστὴν καὶ ἐκπληκτικωτάτην καὶ δυσερμήνευτον ὁρᾷ. Προφητεύει δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ἀμπέλου, καὶ διήγημα περὶ τοῦ ἀετοῦ, καὶ διαμαρτύρεται τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὰς ἀνομίας, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῆς· περί τε τῆς παραβολῆς, ἧς ἔλεγον, οἱ πατέρες ἔφαγον ὄμφακα, καὶ οἱ ὀδόντες τῶν τέκνων ἐμωδίασαν. Καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἀμμὼν, καὶ περὶ τῆς Ὀολᾶς, καὶ τῆς Ὀλιβᾶς. Καὶ ἐπὶ Σοὺρ θρῆνον, καὶ ἐπὶ Σιδῶνα, καὶ περὶ ἡμέρας Κυρίου, καὶ τῷ Φαραὼ βασιλεῖ Αἰγύπτου, καὶ θρῆνον ἐπὶ Φαραὼ, καὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἐπὶ ὄρος Σηεὶρ, καὶ περὶ τῶν ὀστέων τῶν ἀναζησάντων, καὶ ἐπὶ Γὼγ, καὶ τὴν γῆν τοῦ Μαγώγ· τῷ τε ἄρχοντι Τύρου καὶ θρῆνον κατ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ποιμένας τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ναοῦ, καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ διαγράφων προφητεύει. ∆ιὰ τί ∆ανιὴλ καλεῖται; Ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ γεγονὼς, ἕως τοῦ βασιλέως Κύρου τοῦ Πέρσου, τὰ μὲν κατὰ Σουσάνναν κρίνει αὐτὸς, καὶ κατακρίνει τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ὡς συκοφάντας· τὰ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐνύπνια αὐτὸς ἀπαγγέλλει τε καὶ ἑρμηνεύει· βλέπει δὲ καὶ ὁράσεις τελείας· περὶ μὲν τῶν βασιλειῶν δύο, περὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος παρουσίας, καὶ καταπαύσεως τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τῆς Ἀντιχρίστου παρουσίας δύο. ∆ιηγεῖται δὲ περὶ μαρτυρίου Σεδρὰχ, Μησὰχ, Ἀβδεναγὼ, καὶ τῶν ὕμνων αὐτῶν· καὶ ὅτι αὐτοὶ μὲν διεσώθησαν, οἱ δὲ ὑποκαίοντες κατεφλέχθησαν, καὶ μετέγνω βασιλεύς· καὶ ὅτι αὐτὸς διεβλήθη εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων· τὸ μὲν πρῶτον, ἐπειδὴ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων προσευχομένων ∆αρείῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ, μό 22.1272 νος αὐτὸς Θεῷ προσηύχετο· τὸ δὲ δεύτερον διότι τὸν Βὴλ κατέστρεψε· καὶ τὸν δράκοντα ἀνεῖλεν ἐπὶ Κύρου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν διεσώθη. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν λεόντων ἀνῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου. Οἱ δὲ ἐπιβουλεύσαντες αὐτῷ ἐβλήθησαν εἰς λάκκον, καὶ εὐθὺς κατεβρώθησαν ὑπ' αὐτῶν.